Heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels



H. B. MUNSON.

HEEL ,CLAMPING DEVICE FORUSE IN TRIMMING UNATTACHED HEELS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1919.

Patented Mar. 14', 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET has 1M3- H. B. MUNSON.

HEEL CLAMPING DEVICE FOR USE IN TRIMMING UNAITACHED HEELS.

APPLICATION men DEC-2G. 1919.

1,409,565. Patenfied Mar. 14, 1922.

2 SHLETS-SHEET 2.

PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD B. K'UNSON, 01 8'1. LOUIS, IIISO'U'BI.

HEEL-CLAHPING DEVICE FOR USE IN TRIHIING UNL'ITAGHED HEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

Application filed December 28, 1819. Serial Io. 847,887.

'10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Howann B. MUNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Heel-Clamping Devices for se in Trimming Unattached Heels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe machinery and particularly to a device for clamping unattached heels to enable them to be trimmed in the usual way b the rotary cutters of a heel trimming mac e. t

The invention has for its general object to provide a simple device of the above character which shall be readily adapted "for the purpose in view, which shall be adjustable for various heights and pitches of heels and which shall embody in its construction removable members which may be replaced by corresponding members of a different size to enable the clamping device to be used for heels of different sizes In addition to the general objects of the invention above set forth, the invention is also concerned with novel details of construction and with combinations and arrangements of parts which will hereinafter be more particular-l setforthin the specification and pointe out in the claims.

Prior to my invention, it has been the common practice to secure the unfinished heel to the shoe after which, by rasping the shoe in the hand, the heel is hel in contact with theguards of the trimming machine and the heel trimmed to the proper size and shape. Prior -to trimmin the heel the top lift is spanked on and th1s lift, which is not affected by the trimmer, and the counter of the shoe are held against the guards of the trimmer, and as the shoe'is manipulated these parts serve as guides to determine the de th of cut and the shape of the finished hee It has been found, however, very desirable to furnish unattached heels which have been trimmed for use in cobbler or repair work, and it is the purpose of this invention to provide a device which will enable such unattached heels to be readily trimmed. The manner of using the device will appear from the description to follow.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showclamped therein and shown in co-operative relation with a heel trimmer.

Referrin to the drawings, the numeral 1.

indicates t e body portion of the device which is hollow and provides at its forward side a vertical wall 2 and has a rearward extension providing a handle 3. The base 4 of the body ortion 1 is provided with slots 5 through w ich extend set screws 6 which screw into a base plate 7 which extends through an opening 8 provided at the bottom of the wall 2. The base plate 7 projects a considerable distance beyond the wall. 2 and is adapted to have removably secured in its outer end by means of a counter-sunk screw 9 and a pin 10, a heel-plate 11, which in any given case is of the size and shape of the topi lift which will be a plied to the heel. his heel plate is provided on its upper side with a series pf projections 12 which are adapted to project into the ordinary nail holes provided in the heel blank for receivmg the nails which secure the heel to the seat of the shoe. The numeral 13 (Figures 1 and 4) indicates a plate which is provided with a verticall extending slot 14 by means of which it is a justably secured on the wall 2 by means of set screws 15, a scale 15 being preferablyprovided for determining the extent of adjustment. On the upper end of the plate 13 is mounted a housing 16 which 13 open at one side and a portion of its top, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4, to permit of the movement of a lever 17. Extending vertically through the housing 16 is a plunger 18 which has removably secured on its lower end, by means of a counter-sunk screw 19, a counter-plate 20, which is provided with projections 21 on its under side to grasp the top of a heel blank inserted between said counter-plate and the heel plate. The lever 17 is bifurcated at its lower end and shaped to provide two cams 22, which embrace opposite sides of the plunger 18, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2,

and are connected by a cross pin 23 which extends through a slot 24 formed in the plunger 18. Immediately below the bottom of the slot 24 the plunger 18 is provided with a bearing pin 25, which pro ects beyond the side of the plunger at opposite ends to form bearings for the cams 22. The cams 22 are each shaped to provide a toe 26, a cam surface 27, and at its heel, or the point directly opposite the toe 26, a recess portion 28 forming a locking surface. The upper portion of the plunger 18 is hollow and has mountedtherein a coil spring 29 which is confined therein under tension by means of a plug 30 secured in the top of t e plunger and a keeper 31 extending transversely through the slot 24 and resting on the top of the housing 16. In.F1gure 4 I have shown, in operative relation with a heel clamped in my device, a portion of a conventional heel-trimmer, comprising a rotatable spindle 32, a counter-guard 33, a liftguard 34 and knives 35. My device is designed to be used with a heel-blank before the bottom lift has been spanked thereon, and to this end when the lever 17 is in the position shown in Figure 3 a heel blank 36 is placed on the heel plate 11 with the nail holes 37 therein receiving the projections 12 on said heel plate. The lever 17 is then moved downwardly to force the counterplate 20 downward into engagement with the top of the heel-blank so that the prongs 21 will engage the same, in which operation the toes 26 of the cams 22 will engage the under side of the top 38 of the housing 16, and the cam surfaces 27 will engage the ends of the bearing pin 25, resulting in a rapid and extended downward movement of the counter-plate 20. with the expenditure of comparatively slight force and the movement of the lever 17 through a relatively small are. In this operation the cross-pin 23 moves downward in the slot 24 and acts as a movable pivot for the lever 17. The extended and comparatively easy movement of the plunger 18. and counter-plate 20 is rendered ossible byproviding for the double contact of the cams 22, that IS to say, of the toes 26 with the top of the housing 16 and of the cam surfaces 27 with the bearing pin 25, which arrangements provide a double acting cam, the forces exerted by which are cumulative in their action on the bearing pin 25. After the lever 17 has been moved downward beyond the horizontal the cam surfaces 27 will pass off of the pin- 25 and allow the heels of the cams containing the locking recesses 28 to engage over the pin 25, which will then be driven upward against the heel of the cam by the spring 29, and thus operate to lock the lever in its depressed position, or that position shown in Figures 1 and 4-.- The operator then takes the device in his hand by grasping the handle 3, and otherwise holding it as he would a shoe, and by bringing the heel blank in proximity to the rotating knives 35 of the heel-trimmer proceeds to trim the heel as to its sides and rounded portion, the counter-plate 20 and heel plate 11 resting against the guards 33 and 34 as would ordinarily the counter and top lift of the heel if attached to the shoe and trimmed in the ordinary manner. The heel, of course, is subsequently subjected to the action of a breast trimmer, but it is not considered necessary to show this operation, asthe same is well understoodand does not of itself ,enter into the present invention.

The heel as it is trimmed is supplied to cobblers or repair shops in desired sizes and shapes. The unattached heel is secured to the shoe by driving nails" through the holes 37 in the usual way, leaving their headless ends projecting from the bottom of the heel, after which the top lift is spanked on in the well-known manner.

The counter-plate 20 and heel plate 11 may be replaced with corresponding members of different sizes according to the character of heel to be trimmed, and by loosening the set screws 15 the plate 13 may be raised or lowered to vary the distance between the bottom of the counter-plate 20 and the top of the heel-plate 11 according to the height of the heel to be trimmed. Finally by loosening the set screw 6 the base plate 7 may be moved in or out to ad'ust the heel-plate 11 to the pitch of the hee to be trimmed.

I claim:

1. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer for trimming unattached heels, comprising the combination of a body portion, a heel plate and a counter plate mounted thereon and having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, means for guiding one of said plates to move in a right line toward or from the other plate, and means for securing the same to clamp a heel between the plates.

2. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer for trimming unattached heels. comprising the combination of a body portion, a heel plate and a counter plate mounted thereon and having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, and means for moving one of said plates in a right line toward or from the other plate to enable the heel to be clamped between the plates.

3. A portable heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels, comprising a body portion, a counter-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, a heelplate adjustably mounted on said body portion in opposed relation to the counter-plate. said heel-plate and counter-plate having conplates being or moving said plate in a right lineto a fixed position with respect to the other plate.

4. A portable heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels, com rising a body portion, a heel-plate mounte thereon at a distance therefrom, a counter-plate slidably mounted on said body portion in opposed relation to the heel-plate and adjustable toward and from the same to vary the normal distance between them, said heelplate and counter-plate having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, and means for moving said counter-plate in a right line to a fixedposition with respect to the heel-plate.

5. A portable heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels, comprising a body portion, a heel-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, aplunger mounted on said body portion, a counter-plate mounted on the lower end of said plunger in opposed relation to said heel-plate, said heelplate and counter-plate having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, means for moving said plunger in a right line toward and from said heel-plate, and means for holding said counter-plate in fixed relation to the heel-plate when the plunger has been moved to its lowermost positio 6. A portable heel-clamping device for use I in trimming unattached heels, comprising a body rtion, a heel-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, a plunger mounted on said body portion, a counter-plate mounted on the lower end of said plunger in opposed relation to the heel-plate, said heelplate and counter-plate having configurations adaptin them to act as guides for the trimmer, mechanism for raising and lowering said plunger, and means for locking the plunger in its lowered position.

7. A portable heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels, comprising a body portion, a heel-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, a housing mounted on said body portion, a plunger slidably mounted in said housing, a counter-plate mounted on the lower end of said plunger in opposed relation to said heel-plate, said heel-plate and counter-plate having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, cam mechanism cooperating with said plunger to lower the same, a lever for operating said cam mechanism and a spring for automatically raising the plunger when the lever is turned to release the action of the cam mechanism.

8. A portable heel-clamping device for use in trimming unattached heels, comprising a body portion. a heel-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, a housing mounted on said body portion,

a plunger slidably mounted in said housing a counter-plate mounted on the lower end of said plunger in opposed relation to said heel-plate, said heel-plate and counter-plate having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer, cams co-o rating with said housing and with said p unger for lowering the latter, a lever for turning said cams, and a spring for raising the plunger when the lever is turned to release the action of the cams.

A portable heel-clamping device, comprising a body portion, a heel-plate mounted thereon at a distance therefrom, a housing mounted on said body portion above the heel-plate, a slotted plunger slidably mounted in sa1d housing, a counter-plate mounted on the lower end of said plunger, bearings located on opposite sides of the plunger, a pair of cams havin surfaces for engaging sa1d bearmgs, toes or engaging the top of the housing and heel portions for resting on said bearings, a cross pin connecting said cams through said slot and bodily movable 1n the latter, a lever for turnin said cams to lower the plunger and lock fie same in its lowered position, and a spring for raising the plunger when the lever is turned to release the action of the cams.

1Q. A portable heel-clamping device, comprising a body portion, a base-plate ad'ustably mounted thereon and carrying a eelplate at a distance from said body portion, a housing adjustably mounted on said body portion for adjustment toward and from said heel-plate, a counter-plate supported from said housing above said heellate, and nieans for raising and lowering sai counterp ate.

11. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer for trimming unattached heels, comprising the combination of a body portion, a heel-plate supported thereby to en age the lower face of the heel to be trimme a counter-plate supported by the body portion and guided to move in a right line toward and from the heel-plate, sa1d heel-plate and counter-plate having configurations adapting the same to operate as guides for the trimmer, and hand-operated means for advancin the counterlate to clamp the heel-blank getween the p ates.

12. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer for trimming unattached heels, comprising the combination of a body portion, a heel-plate supported thereby to en age the lower face of the heel to be trimme a counter-plate supported by the body portion and guided to move in a right line toward and from the heel-plate, sa1d heel-plate and counter-plate having con figurations adapting the same to operate as guides for the trimmer, a handle, and means actuated by the handle to advance the counter-plate to clamp the heel-blank between the plates.

13. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer adapted for trimming unattached heels of varying heights and cross-sectional dimensions comprising the c'ombination of a body ortion, a pair of clampin members mounte thereon in opposed re ation to clams the upper and lower faces of the heel, an means for moving one of the clamping members in a right line toward or from the other, at least one of said clamping members bein detachable whereby there may be selective y used a clampin member conforming to the shape of the adjacent liftofthe heel to be formed having a guiding edge witha configuration adapted to act as a guide for the trimmer.

14. A portable heel clam ing device for use with a rotary trimmer a apted for trimming unattached heels of yarying heights and cross-sectional dimensions comprisin the combination of a body portion, a pair 0 clam ing members mounted thereon in 0ppose relation to clamp the upper and lower faces of the heel, and means for moving one of the clamping members in a ri ht line toward or from the other, said 0 am ing members being detachable whereby t ere may be selectively used clampin members conformin to the size of the ad acent lifts of the hee to be formed and having configurations adapting them to act as guides for the trimmer.

15. A portable heel clamping device for use with a rotary trimmer for trimming unattached heels, comprising the combination of a body portion, a pair of clamping members mounted thereon in opposed relation, one of said clamping members having a configuration adaptlng it to act as a guide for the trimmer, means for guiding one of said clamping members to move in a right line toward or from the other, and means for securing the same to hold the heel'clamped between said clam ing members.

In testimony w ereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HOWARD B. MUNSON. 

